Who We Are

Last Updated on 16th April 2024 by Dave Lozano

Our Philosophy

The Hearing First Story

Hearing First’s Audiology division is led by Jason Levy, who has over 18 years of experience in the hearing industry, both in the public and private sector. With the aim of using his knowledge and experience to help people with hearing difficulties, Jason began working for First Health Ltd. However, with him working out of two locations, the business struggled to grow. That was until Mary Levy joined the company.

Mary has extensive knowledge and experience in the areas of Strategic Business IT and Health and Social Care. Having come to the UK as a student, Mary’s original intent was to apply the knowledge she would gain to improve the healthcare service of her home country, the Philippines. After a chance meeting in 2009, Mary and Jason began a long distance relationship that led to marriage in 2012. Mary has since used her knowledge and experience to grow and expand the services that Hearing First provide, enabling the company to provide “First Class Hearing Care” through an ever growing network of locations.

It is through her ability to harness her business and IT skills along with her experience working in NHS and overseas hospitals that the company was able to grow to cover new locations. With some financial help from First Health’s former director, Mary was able to develop an IT system that would enable the company to provide services in significantly more locations. She would then take over more and more management duties due to the director’s ill health until she was finally appointed the position herself. During this time, Mary had acquired True Hearing Limited, which has become the company behind Hearing First. We now provide hearing care in 32 locations and have plans to expand to cover the whole of England.

Our philosophy is to give you first class hearing care – we’re passionate about providing the latest, high technology hearing solutions to help you get the most out of your hearing. We believe in the motto “Hear Better, Live Better”. However, hearing aids are only one part of the equation…

Three Divisions, One Purpose: Total Hearing Care

Hearing First is a division of True Hearing Limited, which also encompasses The Microsuction Ear Wax Removal Network and The London Tinnitus Treatment Clinic.  We’re passionate about helping you get the most out of your hearing, whether that is by removing ear wax, helping you cope with tinnitus, or providing the latest, high technology hearing solutions to help you stay connected with work colleagues, friends and loved ones, even in challenging listening situations.

The Science and Art of Audiology

Over the years as technology has progressed, hearing aids have become more and more advanced. In response, Audiology as a profession has become more and more scientific, but in real life people aren’t just a bunch of numbers described by their audiogram. Just as some people like classical music, others like jazz, or pop or rock music. Some people will listen to music very softly, while others prefer to turn their stereo up to full volume. Similarly, it is a given that any qualified hearing aid audiologist should be able to perform a hearing test and adjust your hearing aids to the prescription (fitting) formula – that is the Science of Audiology. But there are at least five prescription formulae in common usage and all of them are different, yet have research backing their use. For instance, one formula aims to “restore natural loudness growth, so that soft sounds are soft but audible, and loud sounds are loud but comfortable”, while another formula emphasises certain speech sounds over others. The result of this is that some fitting formulae sound more sharp and crisp, while others sound more smooth and rounded… some will sound louder and others softer. Finding the right formula for you and making the right fine tuning adjustments is the Art of Audiology, and this comes down to us listening to you, assessing your needs, making adjustments and verifying that you are getting the right balance of comfort and clarity.

Independent Audiologists

Just like there are many different fitting formulae, there are at least nine hearing aid manufacturers that are active in the UK market. The aim of all hearing aid manufacturers is to improve your ability to hear speech, but they all do it in a different way and they all sound slightly different. Every year, manufacturers bring out new hearing aids to improve your ability to hear in background noise, reduce listening fatigue, make music sound better, allow you to stream sound from your iPhone® or iPad®, or even combine hearing aids with your glasses.

Which manufacturer and model is the best for your needs will depend on your lifestyle requirements and your personal priorities, as well as your previous experience (if any) with hearing aids. Some manufacturers specialise in certain niches (for example, spectacle hearing aids or Made for iPhone® hearing aids), or work particularly well with tinnitus. As manufacturers improve their own technology, the best hearing aid manufacturer or model for a particular need will change over time. What makes us different from most High Street retailers is that we are not part-owned by any manufacturer and can provide you with the best hearing aid for your needs, regardless of manufacturer or model.

Total Hearing Care

Our aim is to offer you total hearing care, so not only do we provide the best hearing aid technology, we are also specialists in tinnitus treatment and in microsuction ear wax removal. We believe that keeping your ears healthy will enable you to get the most out of your hearing aids.

Our Passion

Our passion, in line with our “Hear Better, Live Better” philosophy, is to help you get the most out of your hearing. We do this by staying up to date with the latest and best hearing aid technology and providing you with Total Hearing Care. All of our Audiologists have been hand picked because they have this passion to help you to hear better and live better, and they are all trained and certified in microsuction ear wax removal, and keep up to date with all the major manufacturers latest models.

Meet the Team

We at Hearing First aim to provide quality ear care service. Registered under the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), every member of our team is qualified, trained, and capable of treating your auditory needs. Here they are in detail:

Mary Levy BSc Dip (ENT), Director & Microsuction Specialist Practitioner

• Graduated in Nursing in 2006
• Worked in the NHS since 2008
• Awarded Advanced Diploma in Information Technology in 2009
• Awarded Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Business IT in 2010
• Awarded HND in Health and Social Care in 2012
• Audiologist Practitioner
• Certified Microsuction Practitioner – working under the supervision of Jason Levy
• Diploma in Pathology of the Auditory System & ENT Emergencies
• Passionate about helping you hear better and live better
• Director of True Hearing Limited trading as Hearing First

Jason Levy, Lead Audiologist

• 19 years in the hearing industry
• HCPC Registered Hearing Aid Dispenser
• Postgraduate Diploma in Pathology of the Auditory System & ENT Emergencies
• Worked in NHS and private audiology
• Specialist in Tinnitus Treatment
• Certified Microsuction Practitioner
• Trained in Endoscopic Ear Wax Removal techniques under Mr Darius Rejali, Consultant ENT Surgeon.
• Passionate about helping you hear better and live better.

Andrew Bean, Senior Specialist Audiologist

• Qualified as an Audiology Technician in 1982
• Became Chief Technician in Kent in 1987
• Gained MSc in Technical Audiology from University College London in 1997
• Became Lead Audiologist for East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust in 2006
• Worked with NHS Improvement Agency between 2003 and 2008 to establish the protocols for Modernising Hearing Aid Services
• Certified Microsuction Practitioner
• Diploma in Pathology of the Auditory System and ENT Emergencies
• Working under the supervision of Jason Levy, HCPC Registered Hearing Aid Dispenser
• Passionate about helping you hear better and live better

Breda Ryan, Senior Audiologist

• Speech and Language Therapist since 2010
• BSc Audiology with 1st Class Honours
• Has worked in NHS and private Audiology
• Certified Microsuction Practitioner
• Strong focus on client centred care and clinical best practice
• Working part time while completing her MSc Audiology at the University of Southampton
• Passionate about helping you hear better and live better.

Company Information

True Hearing Limited trading as Hearing First
Registered office: 103 High Street, Waltham Cross, England, EN8 7AN
True Hearing Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 10670552.

Contact:
Telephone: 0203 397 9787
Email via contact form at: https://www.hearingfirst.co.uk/help/